Kronos Quartet are marking the 80th anniversary of the first nuclear detonation by covering Bob Dylan‘s “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” with the Hard Rain Collective. Proceeds benefit the Red Hot organization.
Who is the Hard Rain Collective? It’s an all-star group of artists including Ringo Starr, Iggy Pop, Allison Russell, Willie Nelson, Laurie Anderson, Asha Bhosle, Ocean Vuong, Stephin Merritt, members of Deerhoof and more, with an all-Brooklyn chorus that includes Frankie Cosmos, Lou Tides, Xenia Rubinos, Constant Smiles, and more.
There are two distinct versions: an eight-minute more traditional version of the song, albeit one featuring a string quartet and many singers, and then a “drone” version that is more experimental and spoken word. Also as part of the release is Terry Riley with Sara Miyamoto‘s raga “Komal Reshab Asavari.” Listen below.
The Kronos Quartet write:
“Owen Gaffney of the Nobel Prize Outreach invited Kronos to reimagine ‘A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall’ to mark 80 years since the Trinity Test of July 16, the bombing of Hiroshima August 6 and Nagasaki Aug. 9, 1945. That invitation set into motion a chain reaction of effort unique in our work. Kronos performed in Stockholm’s R1 KTH Reaktor Hall. We tried to make a unified musical/scientific response to the danger we all face. That performance on May 10, 2025, a safer time, led to today and the release of ‘Hard Rain’, two new versions of Bob Dylan’s classic to show its power and contemporary relevance.
Even though we live in perilous times, there are also thrilling, courageous voices and wondrous instruments of celebration. Bob Dylan’s words and music give us all a collective response to the fear of nature’s annihilation. Kronos has been joined by participants from 15 countries ages 7-92 representing all humanity, along with producer Elia Einhorn and the activist music company Red Hot. Here we are: reenergized as we face an uncertain future because we were able to create ‘Hard Rain’ together.”
Wednesday was the actual anniversary and Kronos Quartet and Allison Russell performed “Hard Rain” at Chicago’s Logan Center for the Arts Performance Hall as part of an event presented by the Nobel Laureate Assembly for the Prevention of Nuclear War.